Always great to be back in Paradise. Nov. 2011. *

[JustN@ture]

Day 11
Travelling up to Shingwedzi today and woke up to a nice drizzle.We decided to pack and leave rather than do a early morning trip and then come back to camp and pack. Sightings for the day were #Hare, Water buck, Impala, Grey duiker, Buffalo, Kudu, Giraffe, Tortoise, Wildebeest, Bush buck, Steenbok, Elephants, Nyala, crocodile, Bush buck, Lappet-face Vulture, Fish Eagle and Juvenile. #Pied Kingfisher, Yellow bill stork. #Black/green chameleon on road.
The hare scampered past while we were packing and hands were full so no photo :roll: :roll:
We got to the Letaba bridge and spotted this Saddle Billed stork in the river bed below in the little water there was OiO





A bit further on this Pied king fisher was doing his morning grooming



This is the first time I have travelled beyond Letaba and it is really amazing. In its own way it is beautiful. We saw plenty of birds but relatively far off, a European Bee-eater did however let me take a photo.



We stopped in at Mopani camp and then when we left we saw this little chap crossing the road





After he was safely off the road we continued up and did the Red Rock loop . Would love to see this when it is not so overcast, also had some water buck pose for us.







Along the loop this Juvenile was perched watching us, he looks rather well fed :D and then a bit further on we saw a Brown snake eagle and then a short distance on these two. (Please help if the ID's are not correct x0x :oops: )








Tawny

Juvenile Fish Eagle

On the tar again we stopped and watched these Baboons for a while, I missed the photo opportunity of the hand stand stunt of the one on the right, he came running up and pushed the one behind him then did a handstand looking at the one he had pushed. :lol: :lol: they can be quite comical.



We booked in and then did a short drive out to Kanniedood hide not much was happening there other than this Yellow billed stork that was scouring the water



On our way back to camp we saw this little one resting and this guy browsing next to the road.







Day 12 up next.

[JustN@ture]

Day 12
Got another early start and it was another overcast day drizzling and wet … but still a great day. We travelled up to Punda Maria and did the roads around there then back down to Shingwedzi and the Kanniedood dam. Sightings for today were as follows #Buffalo, Elephant, Impala, Side striped jackal(a first), Water buck, Eland(a first), Zebra, Bush buck, Sharpes grysbok(a first), Hippo, Crocodile, Nyala, kudu, Giraffe, Wildebeest #Batleur, Vulture, Fish eagle and others.
It was all in all a great day as there were 3 sightings that were a first for me in Kruger z0z z0z z0z , first up was this Side striped jackal (one of the firsts ) that was just of the road, he stopped to watch us and then was off into the bushes.





Continuing up just before Babalala a herd of Eland crossed the road ahead of us (second of the firsts ), they were quite skittish of us but none the less we got a picture or two of them.





In the distance were a group of vultures in a dead tree, always great to see them in these trees





We stopped in at Punda Maria and visited the shop, had a look around the camp as we want to enter here later this year maybe and do a trip to Crooks Corner then do the trip down, will just have to see how things pan out. We left and did the loop around Punda, on it we spotted this Ground Horn bill no-where near the ground :lol: :lol:



A bit further on in the loop was a Sharpes grysbok (the third of our firsts )



And then we stopped for coffee and had this little fella join our company for a snack.



On leaving Punda and joining up with the H1-7 we found this male Nyala grazing and on the other side of the road this Lilac Breasted Roller and European Bee-eater were hunting.









We headed back down to Shingwedzi and found these two Batleur Eagles, the one was making quite a racket and then a young wildebeest





Video




We were back quite early and the rain had stopped so we went out to Kanniedood dam, and did that the route along the river. It was great as we took all the short loops off it to the river and had some great sightings on them. The drive is also stunning. This croc was on the one loop







In the one loop we were watching a few hippos in the river when we noticed this squirrel at the base of a tree and then found a nesting/feeding pair of Lilac Breasted rollers and a pair of Lesser Blue eared starlings nesting/feeding. z0z z0z z0z









Day 13 to follow soon

[JustN@ture]

Day 13
Today would be spent traveling back down to Letaba. We left after packing and decided we would do the main road and then turn off and do the Tropic of Capricorn loop and then stop in at both Pioneer and Shipandani hides. Sightings were as follows #Hippo, Impala, Zebra, Leopard crossing road - with one young, Wildebeest, Hyena on road - with two young feeding. Elephant, Buffalo, 2 Black backed Jackal, Hippo, Wart hog, Crocodile, Water buck, Wild dog ±10 #Verreaux's eagle owl, Brown snake eagle, black bellied Bustard, Marabou stork ± 30, Male and Female Kori bustard, Tawny eagle #At tent in tree thick tail Bush Baby.
Just after leaving Shingwedzi we saw the Verreaux's eagle owl



We continued seeing the general game and just after the S144 turn off we spotted something in the road, it was a mother hyena feeding two young ones. She got up and left the young ones on the road :roll: :roll: and they then eventually decided they need to leave as well.






.


After the hyenas disappeared off into the bush we continued down and between the S142 and S144 roads we once again spotted a leopard crossing the road about 300m away :roll: :roll: , unfortunately when we got to the spot we could only just see it going through the bushes and this is when we saw it was the younger one we had seen and the mother was waiting further in the bush . No photo’s unfortunately. :oops: :oops:
We then turned off on the S143(Tropic of Capricorn) and it was relatively quiet but we saw this big fella, looks like quite a set on tusks on him.



We stopped at Tihongonyeni water hole yet there was not much going on, few wildebeest lazing about and a few buffalo in the distance, one could see there had been activity as there was a lot of prints in the mud. We continued and and had this chap displaying



We then made a turn past Nshawu Dam and not much to see there other than ellies far off in the distance. We then headed to Mopani and saw the male Kori Bustard displaying far in the distance and female Kori Bustards closer by as well as a pair of BBJ’s z0z z0z z0z







The rest of the road was quiet and we got to Letaba early enough to do an afternoon drive so we headed to Sable hide, at Masorini water hole there were 22+ Marabou stalks



Sable hide was quiet and it was getting late so we started back for Letaba, we spotted cars and something in the road, getting closer we realised what It was…… Wild dogs 0Y OiO OiO 0Y



They hung around on the road for a bit then spotted an Impala and gave chase , the Impala was too quick and it looked like a half-hearted chase so they then came back to the road and trotted down the road, they then were off as they spotted another Impala and this time it looked like they were after dinner, they left the road and were gone.















It was a great end to the day so we were happy to go back to camp, start the fire and relax. Last sighting at camp was a thick tailed Bush Baby z0z z0z z0z



Sorry the photo quality was not great today :roll: :roll: :roll:
Day 14 up next

[JustN@ture]

Day 14

Today we were leaving Letaba where we stayed in the tented camp which was an awesome camp and heading to Skukuza’s tented camp. The trip down produced the Big Five twice for us on one day OiO . Other sightings were as follows #Bush buck, Impala, Hyena, White Rhino, Kudu, Giraffe, Hippo, Elephant, 3 Lion (sleeping), Steenbok, Zebra, huge herd Buffalo, Reed buck, Wildebeest, Water buck, Leopard with kill, Buffalo, Wart hog, Elephant, White Rhino, Leopard on rock, Baboons, Vervet monkeys. 3 Male Lion (sleeping), Dwarf mongoose, 2 Hyena at fence, #Terrapin, Snake, #Fish eagle, Woodland Kingfisher. Cori bustard, Red crested cuckoo, Batleur.

The ellie statue at Letaba’s ellie museum, which I visited again :lol: :lol: :lol:



At the Olifants River there were a couple of vultures circling in the morning sky and this Woodlands king fisher was flying around the area where we stopped for coffee.





I love the trees and the sizes of some of them you find in KNP like this one and then down the road this Batleur was busy on the floor, have no idea what he was doing but he was not to bothered with us being close by. Love their colours







We spotted a snake crossing the road, looked like a black mamba but I’m not sure, if anyone can help with the ID it would be appreciated. Unfortunately I was only able to get these photos :? :?





Further down the road we saw Ellies, buffalo and the general game as well as this rhino next to the road



Next up was 3 lionesses in the distance under a bush.



Just before Satara we spotted a Reedbuck at the side of the road, there were 2 of them grazing but only the one was in the open (this was another first for me in KNP )





We stopped in at Satara for a leg stretch and then were on our way again, just before Kumana Dam something caught my eye in a tree, we stopped and checked…..it was a kill.



We sat there for a while looking for its owner. We were the only ones in the area; many people stopped asked what it was and checked out the kill then left. We started to feel like moving on as the kill looked old but thanks to my mom’s persistence we stayed. We searched the area and then it was spotted…the spotted culprit responsible for holding us up. Far off to the one side about 50m from the tree under a bush in front of a rock. It lay there watching us and then decided to move to a spot where it could not be seen taking a piece of its meal with it.








Going down the H1-2 we saw our second leopard for the day, not a great view of it but it’s a leopard.



And then a bit further on we watched these baboons playing around and the two kudus butting heads.




Video





Video


We got to Skukuza booked in and then did a drive along the river where we saw these 3 guys lazing in the bush.





All in all another fantastic day , had two hyena visit at the fence while we had the braai.
Day 15 to follow

[JustN@ture]

Day 15
Today was a relatively quiet day as was the last day as it was hot and humid, sightings were as follows for today Giraffe, Hyena, Elephant, HIppo, 2 Leopard, Impala, Bush buck, Zebra, Wart hog, Chacma Baboons, Nyala, Vervet Monkeys, Steenbok, Dwarf mongoose, #Red headed weaver, Batleur (Immature).
We left camp as the gates opened and headed to Lake panic for the sunrise and coffee. I have never been to the hide so early and was looking forward to it; little did I know what it would have in store for us.

On our way to the hide we had our first hyenas trotting down the road and when we stopped for the photos it was very accommodating , and then a bit further down the road we had our second hyena in the road who was also very accommodating ...at one stage I start to think it was being a bit too accommodating as it came right up to the door .





Arriving at the hide it was quiet with only one other car there. What a way to spend the morning :D :D







While sitting there listening to the morning sounds I heard a hippo, at least that is what I thought it was at first :roll: but then across the water in the bushes from where the sound were coming we spotted movement, it was still a bit dark but we got a glimpse of it every now and then, a leopard…no wait two of them walking on a path in the bushes and just giving us a glimpse of them every so often
z0z .
No photo’s unfortunately :roll: as the light was bad but it was great to see them.

We left the hide and headed to Afsaal and then stopped in at the Stevenson Hamilton site, from there we went back to camp. The afternoon we did the H1-1 and H1-4 with a few sitings.
Yellowbilled Kite



Red-headed Weaver





Batleur (Immature)

Purple-crested Turaco




Last day up soon

[JustN@ture]

Day 16
Last day in the park , so we were up early, packed and then headed to lake panic to try our luck again. As usual it was a great morning with the hide giving us wonderful bird sightings again.

African Jacana


Black Crate


Egyptian Goose


Malachite Kingfisher


Grey Heron


Pied Kingfisher


We had coffee and then travelled down to Numbi gate via the S1 and S3, on the way down we had these sightings; Giraffe, Hippo, Bush buck, Impala, Elephant, Grey duiker, Kudu, Zebra, Wildebeest, White Rhino, Vervet monkeys, Chacma Baboons.

These two were grazing next to the road, z0z z0z




And in one of the dry river beds we saw a herd of Kudu as well as a woolly-necked stork and a large troop of Baboons.



Woolly-necked Stork




The trip gave me a lot of firsts and as always I just enjoyed being back at the place I love to visit.

Thanks all for taking the time to read and comment here, it is really appreciated. O00 O00